The Ocean's Darkest Anthem

CHAPTER 5...You're the lucky ones.

Finn didn't like hiding under a loose boulder with a few fish, but it was all he could do to survive the manhunt. He couldn't ever think he would be caught like this, a fish out of water as the Orcas crew scoured the reef above him, harpoons and spearguns at the ready.

He'd already been caught once, and he was probably attracting every predator in the area as his blood seeped into the surrounding water.

And then, as if things couldn't possibly get worse, he spotted a dark shape racing towards him, a small shark with its maw open wide.

Finn had two options, he could swim away and get shot with another spear and be swallowed by the shark, or cut out the middle man and stay.

By the time he had made p his mind, the shark had descended on him id a flurry of teeth and power, and he had nowhere left to run.

But the jaws never clamped down, no burning pain spread through his body and the shark never collided with him.

Because, after moments of fear racing through him, he opened his eyes and saw the siren twisted around the shark, now frozen as it floated upside down. Her wings where spread wide and she looked so much bigger with her snarling jaw wide and clawed hands flexed as she growled down at it. Every scale and barb on her body had bristled, flattening and rising like a hypnotic nightmare, and the red painting her body looked so much darker and deadlier. Then she growled again, tightening around the shark like a constrictor.

Before releasing it and turning her piercing, hollow eyes towards him.

Whatever semblance of safety he felt with the siren vanished immediately as she shot towards him like a bullet.

With a yelp, Finn fought against the creatures hold as she pulled him down, down into the inky depths. His efforts to claw his arm out of her iron grip provided futile.

But then the grip loosened on its own and Finn wormed away as the darkness around them closed in. He felt disorientated, the furthest he could see being his nose. But then a small sliver of light broke the suffocating darkness.

The siren swam lazy circles in front of him, spots and ruby stripes on her tail and body glowing red and blue. He watched as the glowing inner parts of her wings folded around each other and her tail, the golden dipped ivory claws clasping the bones of her hips.

The sight of her doing something mundane and simple came as a shock to him, Finn was so used to seeing her vicious side that he hadn't expected to see her so calm.

And then she opened her fanged mouth and he remembered how unkind she could be.

"I will take you to your Necktons, boy. But from there we part ways and any mention of me that escapes you will result in your painful demise"

Finn gulped, eying every sharp point on her, but nodded. He didn't doubt for a second that she would hurt him in an instant.

The trip to wherever the Aronnax and her crew where was surprisingly short, and he wondered how the Siren knew where they where. But soon those thoughts were pushed from his mind as an island appeared o rise from the seafloor.

As they got closer, Finn could see the Aronnax docked at an unfamiliar port, her moonpool open and multiple shapes swimming around attending to the ship.

The siren expertly dodged the Necktons and shot into the sub. And as Finn crawled out of the water, the door rushed open and familiar footsteps filled his ears as he dropped onto his back, defeated and tired and sore from the swimming.

"Finn!", Fontane froze at the door, eyes blown wide and curious as she found the Siren. "Grandma?"

Finn turned as the Siren rose, grasping the moonpool like a lifeline. "Fontane, my littlest pearl".

"Hey!" He raced to Fontane as she dashed to the pool, stopping in front of her, hands clasped over her shoulders as her eyes clouded over.

"Finn let go!", Fontane pushed and pulled at his grip, thrashing like a fish out of water. "Grandma!"

"Fontane! Come to me!"

"Grandma I'm coming".

He didn't know if it was the effects of the siren, or if she was just strong, but Finn yelped as Fontane wrenched her way out of his arms and towards the pool with inhuman speed.

His heart lurched as he turned, watching as she slipped on a patch of water. He couldn't let her get to the Siren

Before she knew what was happening, Finn had launched towards Fontaine, dragging her to the ground with an iron grip on her body. "Don't! Leave her alone!"

"Boy", Finn tightened his grip as Fontane thrashed, nails digging into his skin. "I brought you to your Necktons."

"We made a deal"

"We did. I would take you to your precious Nektons in exchange for your silence." She hadn't finished talking, but Finn had pieced together the meaning behind her words. She had never said she wouldn't hurt them. "Smart boy. Don't you know the sea is unpredictable? She will drown you with a simple thought"

This chapter fought against me with every word and I hate it.